“Once you know, it has to be done”

The above is a wonderfully resonant quote from a model railway forum post.

It refers to the fact that the builder had made an assumption about a feature on his chosen prototype, but when he got around to checking up at his local club’s library, he found he needed to make some corrections. (This is a very minor example of the disruption caused by COVID-19, as he didn’t want to put the project on hold pending all the information.) Not everyone would have bothered, but that, perhaps, is the most succinct and compelling difference between a genuine “finescale” model-maker and someone who doesn’t want to get it right. I might add that wanting to find out these details is also a key part of the finescale approach.

There is also the point that pending full knowledge of prototype practice, a reasonable interpolation of the design was made – no hanging around waiting to “know everything”, just an acceptance that a correction would be made if necessary later. This applies to most things within our hobby, although once the track is laid, it can be difficult to change certain fundamentals of its design and construction without wholesale destruction!

4 thoughts on ““Once you know, it has to be done””

  1. p4newstreet (@P4newstreet)

    Model what you see not what you think you know! I’m quite surprised he wasn’t jumped on by the rule 1 brigade. You know those people who think the rest of the planet need approval from a complete stranger to do what they want. As if they believe they are the only person to realise that’s an option 😉

    1. Simon Post author

      They also believe that telling the rest of the planet that they are “watching this with interest” adds to the sum of human knowledge…

  2. Simon Post author

    With immaculate timing, the real world has thrown up an incredible example.
    As a response to a correction I posted to a glib and inaccurate statement (which I described as being unhelpful) I was criticised for not seeing the humour and being too serious.
    Obviously, being misleading and facile is in preference to being informative and helpful…

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